Ruben Vardanyan refuses state-appointed lawyer in Baku

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former State Minister of Artsakh Ruben Vardanyan refused the services of a state-appointed lawyer during the February 13 session of his ongoing trial in Baku. The decision was made due to his lack of trust in the appointed defender, according to Siranush Sahakyan, a lawyer representing Armenian captives at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), News.am reports.

"Ruben Vardanyan rejected the services of the state-appointed lawyer presented by the prosecutor in the first session. The prosecutor had argued that, given the complexity of the case, an additional lawyer was necessary. However, Vardanyan stated that the lawyer provided him with no legal assistance, never visited him in detention, and was not someone he trusted.

The prosecution initially objected, insisting that the state-appointed lawyer should remain. However, based on my information, the court granted Vardanyan’s request during yesterday’s hearing. His defense will now be handled by his private lawyer, Abraham Berman, who is licensed in Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, he has been denied access to his international lawyer, Jared Genser, as Azerbaijani authorities rejected Genser’s request to visit Baku," Sahakyan stated.

Regarding the outrageous and absurd charges against Vardanyan, Sahakyan emphasized that "the accusations are beyond the bounds of reason, making it impossible to either comment on them or provide counterarguments."

*Baku has accused Ruben Vardanyan of orchestrating "Nemesis-2" against Azerbaijani diplomats. Other charges include illegally crossing Azerbaijan’s border in September 2022, financing armed groups through the Aurora Foundation and other organizations, and supplying and storing weapons. Prosecutors also claim he paid members of illegal armed formations and collaborated with Vladimir Vardanov of VOMA to train militants.

Additionally, authorities allege that Vardanyan initiated negotiations to acquire helicopter-type drones for illegal armed groups and sought to establish a drone production facility. He is also accused of organizing the supply of electronic warfare systems.*